How Sexual Assault Survivors Seeking Treatment Can End Up Arrested—And What Illinois Is Doing About It

Every year, thousands of victims of sexual assault treatment and care in emergency rooms in Illinois. As part of that process, police are called in to investigate and in some cases, sexual assault survivors can end up arrested themselves for completley unrelated reasons. 

Governor Pritzker signed legislation back in July that is aimed at putting a stop to the practice, and will go into effect in June of next year.

We spoke with Sarah Beuning, general counsel for the  Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Alison Bowen, who's been reporting on this issue for the Chicago Tribune. We also spoke with Tegan Stynoski, the sexual assualt and domestic violence coordinator at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.